HoganWillig Blog

Using a hand held mobile device while driving (phone, text, email), the penalty for a first offense still involves a maximum fine of a $150 fine plus surcharges. The point violation increases from three to five points for offenses committed on or after June 1, 2013.

As 2013 comes to a close, have you made your New Year’s resolution yet? For many of us, estate planning is something we realize we should do, but somehow manage to keep postponing. With this in mind, you consider what estate planning is really all about. In essence, estate planning is about managing and protecting your assets during your lifetime and controlling distribution following your death so you may leave a legacy for your loved ones.

The Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare,” has caused a great deal of confusion since enacted on March 23, 2010. We have put together the following information in an effort to relieve some of the uncertainty surrounding this health care reform, and to hopefully ease the inevitable anxiety many of our clients will face in the coming months.

For the past two years, the number one post closing issue relating to home sales has been septic system failures. Many septic systems in Western New York seem to have reached the age of around 50 years, which seems also to be about the end of life for many of its parts – tank, leach field, filters.

A recent survey shows that more couples are opting to secure prenuptial agreements; 63% of matrimonial lawyers surveyed reported an increase in the number of prenups over the last three years. Whether this is a result of people getting married older, having more wealth going into a marriage, or general concern for the protection of assets, a common trend among growing prenups is the desire to protect real estate. This is evident in the survey results, which show that the most common coverage areas within prenuptial agreements are:

In order to continue to receive a Basic STAR Exception, homeowners in New York State must register with the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance by the end of this year. Senior Citizens receiving the Enhanced STAR Exemption are not affected by this new requirement to register.

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the opening of the northtowns satellite branch of theFamily Justice Center. The Center helps domestic violence victims finds the resources that they need to move on with their lives.

On Wednesday, October 30th, the Social Security Administration announced that monthly Social Security and Supplementary Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase by 1.5 percent beginning in 2014. This increase affects nearly 63 million Americans.

The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013, also commonly known as the “NYS SAFE Act,” was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on January 15th, 2013. The legislation has resulted in some important changes to the regulation of firearms in New York State. The SAFE Act includes these new provisions: